How to Put a Photo on Xiaomi Call Screen: All Ways 2026

When your Xiaomi receives an incoming call, the first thing you see is the subscriber name and the standard icon, but you'll agree that it's much more pleasant to see a photo of a friend, colleague or relative on the screen - this not only personalizes the experience, but also helps you to navigate faster whether to answer. In this article, we'll discuss all possible ways to install a photo on a contact call on Redmi, POCO and other devices on MIUI, including nuances for different versions of the firmware.

It’s important to understand that the process can vary depending on whether the contact is saved in the phone book, synced to a Google account or Mi Account, and the version of MIUI (12/13/14/15).We’ll look at the universal methods that work on most models, from the Redmi Note 10 to the flagship Xiaomi 14, and point to hidden settings that many users are unaware of.

Preparation: Verification of MIUI and synchronization of contacts

Before you start setting up your photos, make sure your contacts are properly synchronized, which will save you from problems when the photo disappears after updating or resetting.

To check out the MIUI version:

1. Open the Settings. → The phone.
2. Find the MIUI version line (e.g. MIUI Global 14.0.5).
3. Remember or write down this information – it will come in handy if the instruction doesn’t work.

For synchronization of contacts:

• 🔄 Go to Settings. → Accounts and synchronization.
• 📱 Select Google or Mi Account (depending on where the contacts are saved).
• 🔄 Enable the slider Contact synchronization.

Why does it matter? If the contact is only saved on the SIM-The map, the photo to it will not be attached — MIUI does not support this function for SIM-Also some firmware versions (e.g., some contacts, MIUI 12 for older models) may have limitations on the size of photos.

Method 1: Add a photo through the standard “Contacts” app

This is the simplest and most versatile method that works on all Xiaomi devices regardless of the MIUI version.

1. Open the Contacts app (an icon with a person’s silhouette).
2. Find the right contact in the list and tap it.
3. At the top of the screen, click on the camera icon (or plus if the photo isn’t already).
4. Choose one of the options: 📷 Take a photo – directly from the camera phone. 🖼️ Select from the gallery - upload an existing image. 🎨 Create an avatar – draw or generate an icon (available in the MIUI 14+).

Cut the photo in a circle (if necessary) and save the changes.

After that, the photo will be displayed not only in the contacts, but also on the incoming call screen. If the image does not appear immediately, restart the phone or check the display settings (we will discuss them below).

Contact selected from the phone book (not available) SIM-map)

Photo has a resolution of at least 300×300 pixels

Contact synced with Google or Mi Account

Call settings include photo display-->

Method 2: Install photo through the application "Phone"

In some versions of MIUI (e.g. MIUI 13 for Redmi Note 11), you can add a photo directly during an incoming call or through a call log.

1. Open the phone application (green handset).
2. Go to the Contacts or Journal tab.
3. Find the right number and tap it.
4. In the upper right corner, click on the pencil icon (Edit).
5. Slip on the contact icon (or plus-plus, if it is not) and select the source of the photo.

Nuance: If a contact is saved in multiple accounts (e.g., duplicated in Google and Mi Account), the system can request which copy to apply the changes.

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If the photo doesn’t show up on the call, try clearing the Phone app cache in the settings (Settings → Applications → App Management → Phone → Clear the cache).

Method 3: Using Google Contacts to Sync Photos

If you use Google Contacts as your primary storage source, photos can be added via the web or mobile app, which is convenient because changes are automatically applied to all devices where sync is enabled.

Instructions for the web version:

1. Open your browser and go to contacts.google.com.
2. Sign in with the same account as on your phone.
3. Find the right contact and click on it.
4. Click on the camera icon in the upper left corner and upload the photo.
5. Save the changes and wait for the synchronization (usually takes 1-2 minutes).

For the Google mobile app Contacts:

• 📱 Open the app and select a contact.
• 🖼️ Slip on the camera icon at the top.
• 🔄 Select the source of the photo and save it.

The advantage of this method is that photos in Google Contacts are not reset after the MIUI update and are available on any device with the same account. However, remember that Xiaomi can cache images, so sometimes forced synchronization in account settings is required.

Method 4: Manually add photos through the file manager (for experienced)

This method is suitable if standard methods do not work (for example, on custom firmware or older versions of MIUI).It requires access to the file system and is suitable for users familiar with ADB or manual database editing.

Attention! Incorrect actions can lead to loss of contacts.

1. Install a file manager with access to root folders (such as MiXplorer or Solid Explorer).
2. Go to /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db (root rights or ADB required).
3. Copy the database to your computer and open it with SQLite Browser.
4. Find the table. raw_contacts and remember the id of the right contact.
5. In the data table, find an entry with mimetype = 'vnd.android.cursor.item/photo' same raw_contact_id.
6. Update the data15 field (binary photo data) or add a new photo entry.

This is a tricky and risky way to do it, but sometimes it's the only way out for older devices (like the Redmi 4X on MIUI 9).

Problems and Solutions: Why the Photo Is Not Shown on the Call

Even after setting it up correctly, the photo may not show up on the incoming call screen, and let’s look at the most common causes and ways to address them:

If none of these methods worked, check to see if the phone has third-party launchers (like Nova Launcher or POCO Launcher) some of which override the standard call window, which may make the photos not appear, in which case try to temporarily return the standard MIUI launcher.

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On devices with MIUI 15 and later, contact photos are cached separately for each user profile. If you use the Work Profile feature, make sure that the contact is added to the correct profile.

Additional settings: personalization of the call screen

In addition to photos, you can configure other elements of the incoming call screen in MIUI:

• 🎨 Color theme: in Settings → Screen. → Colors select the theme that will apply to the call window.
• 🔔 Sound and vibration: assign unique melodies to contact with photos → Edit → Call sound.
• 📱 Screen position: C Settings → Display. → When you call, select how the photo will be displayed (vertically or horizontally).
• 🔒 Blocking changes: in MIUI 14+ You can block editing contacts with the photo through Settings → Confidentiality → Contact protection.

Hidden feature: In some versions of MIUI (for example, on Xiaomi 13T), you can enable photo animations when an incoming call.

1. Activate Settings → Special features → Animation of the interface.
2. Set the value of 1x or 0.5x for smooth appearance of the photo.

These little things make smartphone use more comfortable and visually appealing. Experiment with settings to find the best option for yourself!

FAQ: Frequent questions about photos on Xiaomi calls